Calgary's Riverside Gem - River Cafe
Lately we haven't been visiting too many exciting restaurants; we are trying to save money, and sure, Vietnamese food is really yummy, but this has meant a reduction in our regular dining out habit. As a holistic nutritionist, I know this is better for both my health and my waistline so I am not complaining too much.
However, my fiancé recently passed his PMP certification so I figured this meant a celebration was in order. Since I went through the studying and process of getting my CISSP a few years ago, I completely understood how exhausting and stressful writing a 4+ hour exam can be. And he got it first try! I'm so proud of him.
I use Open Table a lot to check out what's new and to book reservations for restaurants. I have been using this app for a few years and I was 100 points away from my 10,000 point goal so luckily River Cafe was one of the many delicious options we could choose from for his celebration. River Cafe is one restaurant we've wanted to try for quite some time, too, but the prices of the entrees are fairly expensive.
I'm also a stickler for restaurants and pubs that sit along the water so when I visit cities that have harbours, the establishments that allow you to watch the boats float by and gaze adoringly at the sun reflecting off the water are by far my favourites! I have this not-so-secret wish that the City of Calgary would stop all single family house construction in Quarry Park on lots that back directly onto the river park and instead allow for only commercial, 1- to 2- story businesses to build, offering Calgarians more options for dining out on a west-facing patio while watching the beautiful Bow River flow by. In my dreams, this is a relaxing and fun place to hang out and experience some water life in the midst of a very arid province.
I digress...I apologize.
The River Cafe sits as the only permanent business on Prince's Island, right off downtown Calgary. Nearby, across the river, is Eau Claire, with other awesome dining options such as 1886 and the Barley Mill, not to mention a theatre, a YMCA and a Sheraton hotel. This area is bustling most weekends in summer.
From the moment we arrived at River Cafe, we were treated with respect and care; the hostess, owner and other wait staff were very friendly and helpful and gave us a warm welcome as we dined.
The menu is obviously designed with sustainability and local ingredients in mind, two of the values that River Cafe publicly acknowledges. Entrees include incredible combinations of grains, vegetables, fruits, cheeses and nuts to accompany their main meat component (and there was one vegetarian entree option available too). Proteins included salmon, wild boar, halibut, bison, duck, pork belly and beef. While we didn't have any appetizers, they were similarly created to incorporate a number of tastes and textures.
My bison was cooked medium rare, as recommended. The dish came with delightful beets (I love beets!), blueberries, barley, edible flowers and a cheese froth (that, if you're a cat owner like me, you may initially question as to whether you should eat it, but trust me, it was tasty). I found some bites of the bison a little hard to chew but others seemed to melt in my mouth; it didn't seem to matter whether it was a cooked outer edge or the rare middle, this experience was random. My favourite part of the dish was the beets but the sauce that was ladled over the food was really yummy too. The bison did come very rare so if you're not used to this, you can ask for a more well-cooked piece of meat. I appreciated that the portion size wasn't extravagant too (although for the price I would expect more food, really). But a healthier portion size is more important than a massive amount of food (and, more often than not, food waste).
Bryan's wild boar came with broccoli, broccolini, kole rabe, hazelnuts and cherries, along with a sauce that he absolutely loved. He found the boar overcooked, or dry, but the rest of the meal was delicious...nothing in what he was served stopped him from cleaning his plate though!
Overall, a lovely evening out! The restaurant itself is very rustic, with squeaky, wooden floor panels and exposed, almost-antique pipes and faucets in the bathroom. They have an amazing patio with a lot of space, perfect for dinner out on a warm summer's evening!
However, my fiancé recently passed his PMP certification so I figured this meant a celebration was in order. Since I went through the studying and process of getting my CISSP a few years ago, I completely understood how exhausting and stressful writing a 4+ hour exam can be. And he got it first try! I'm so proud of him.
I use Open Table a lot to check out what's new and to book reservations for restaurants. I have been using this app for a few years and I was 100 points away from my 10,000 point goal so luckily River Cafe was one of the many delicious options we could choose from for his celebration. River Cafe is one restaurant we've wanted to try for quite some time, too, but the prices of the entrees are fairly expensive.
I'm also a stickler for restaurants and pubs that sit along the water so when I visit cities that have harbours, the establishments that allow you to watch the boats float by and gaze adoringly at the sun reflecting off the water are by far my favourites! I have this not-so-secret wish that the City of Calgary would stop all single family house construction in Quarry Park on lots that back directly onto the river park and instead allow for only commercial, 1- to 2- story businesses to build, offering Calgarians more options for dining out on a west-facing patio while watching the beautiful Bow River flow by. In my dreams, this is a relaxing and fun place to hang out and experience some water life in the midst of a very arid province.
I digress...I apologize.
The River Cafe sits as the only permanent business on Prince's Island, right off downtown Calgary. Nearby, across the river, is Eau Claire, with other awesome dining options such as 1886 and the Barley Mill, not to mention a theatre, a YMCA and a Sheraton hotel. This area is bustling most weekends in summer.
From the moment we arrived at River Cafe, we were treated with respect and care; the hostess, owner and other wait staff were very friendly and helpful and gave us a warm welcome as we dined.
The menu is obviously designed with sustainability and local ingredients in mind, two of the values that River Cafe publicly acknowledges. Entrees include incredible combinations of grains, vegetables, fruits, cheeses and nuts to accompany their main meat component (and there was one vegetarian entree option available too). Proteins included salmon, wild boar, halibut, bison, duck, pork belly and beef. While we didn't have any appetizers, they were similarly created to incorporate a number of tastes and textures.
My bison was cooked medium rare, as recommended. The dish came with delightful beets (I love beets!), blueberries, barley, edible flowers and a cheese froth (that, if you're a cat owner like me, you may initially question as to whether you should eat it, but trust me, it was tasty). I found some bites of the bison a little hard to chew but others seemed to melt in my mouth; it didn't seem to matter whether it was a cooked outer edge or the rare middle, this experience was random. My favourite part of the dish was the beets but the sauce that was ladled over the food was really yummy too. The bison did come very rare so if you're not used to this, you can ask for a more well-cooked piece of meat. I appreciated that the portion size wasn't extravagant too (although for the price I would expect more food, really). But a healthier portion size is more important than a massive amount of food (and, more often than not, food waste).
Bryan's wild boar came with broccoli, broccolini, kole rabe, hazelnuts and cherries, along with a sauce that he absolutely loved. He found the boar overcooked, or dry, but the rest of the meal was delicious...nothing in what he was served stopped him from cleaning his plate though!
Overall, a lovely evening out! The restaurant itself is very rustic, with squeaky, wooden floor panels and exposed, almost-antique pipes and faucets in the bathroom. They have an amazing patio with a lot of space, perfect for dinner out on a warm summer's evening!
Comments
Post a Comment